Northern Loop cruise with Quito, Ecuador

Day 1

On the first day of your journey, you’ll be greeted at the airport by a Celebrity Cruises® representative and transferred to the JW Marriott hotel. Enjoy free time to relax and settle in.

Itinerary

Day 2

Friday

Quito

Breakfast is served at the hotel. During your guided tour of the capital of Ecuador, situated at an altitude of 9,350 feet, you’ll stand on the equatorial line at the Middle of the World Park and Museum, and marvel at the monastery of San Francisco and la Compañia Church. Your Tour Director will escort you throughout your Quito stay, and serve as your personal concierge. Lunch with a spectacular view of the city, and enjoy a welcome dinner at a local gourmet restaurant.

Itinerary

Day 3

Saturday - AM

Quito/Baltra Island

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Baltra, Galapagos. During World War II, Baltra served as a U.S. military base protecting the Panama Canal from enemy attack. Now the cactus-strewn landscapes of Baltra are home to the region’s main airport and where you will meet the ship. From the airport, it is just a short bus and zodiac ride to the ship for embarkation.

Itinerary

Day 3

Saturday - PM

Black Turtle Cove, Santa Cruz Island

A zodiac ride into Black Turtle Cove, one of the most beautiful sites in the Galapagos, takes you through a complex maze of tranquil saltwater inlets surrounded by mangroves. Once inside the cove, quietly explore the area looking for sea turtles, several species of rays, and sharks. It is also a nesting site for brown pelicans, egrets, and herons. Excursion options: Zodiac.

Itinerary

Day 4

Sunday - AM

Rabida Island

A small island south of Santiago, Rabida is best known for its red sand and eroded volcanic landscape. A nesting colony of pelicans makes its home here, along with sea lions, finches, mockingbirds, Galapagos Hawks, and some seabirds. With good conditions, the snorkeling can be excellent. Excursion options: Zodiac, walk, swim, kayak and snorkel.

Day 5

Monday - AM

Tagus Cove, Isabela Island

Historically an anchorage for pirates and whalers, this site offers a breathtaking view of Isabela, its volcanoes, and a saltwater lagoon. Along the shore, seabirds, penguins, sea lions, sea turtles, and nesting flightless cormorants can often be found. Excursion options: Zodiac, walk, snorkeling and kayak.

Itinerary

Day 5

Monday - PM

Espinoza Point, Fernandina Island

Fernandina is the youngest island in the Galapagos and, as Darwin wrote, it is “covered with immense deluges of black naked lava.” Along with its extraordinary black lava rocks, this point of land hosts the largest colony of marine iguanas in the Archipelago, along with sea lions and a nesting site for flightless cormorants. Excursion options: Walk, snorkel, hike.

Itinerary

Day 6

Tuesday - AM

Urvina Bay, Isabela Island

Composed of five merged volcanoes, this is the largest island in the Galapagos and the most recently active, the latest eruption having occurred at Wolf Volcano in 2015. Here you will see large land iguanas, finches, and if lucky, a giant tortoise or two. In 1954, magma from one of the island’s volcanoes caused part of the bay to be uplifted some 6 meters, allowing you to walk through the remains of what was once a thriving underwater reef. Excursion options: Walk, hike, snorkel, swim.

Itinerary

Day 6

Tuesday - PM

Vicente Roca Point, Isabela Island

The half-collapsed remains of an ancient volcano make for a spectacular setting at this site. Awe-inspiring cliffs, blue waters, and wildlife create a zodiac ride to remember as you search for sea turtles, penguins, fur seals, the flightless cormorant, marine iguanas, marine mammals, and the oddly shaped form of the elusive sunfish. Excursion options: Zodiac, deep water snorkel.

Itinerary

Day 7

Wednesday

Bartolomé Island

Bartolomé Island offers one of the region’s most photographed views, and is a spectacular geological setting. Its barren moon-like volcanic landscapes, spatter cones, and pinnacle rock make for a unique stop. It is also home to the endemic Galapagos penguin and provides an excellent opportunity for snorkeling. Excursion options: hike up some 368 stairs “To the Top” of the volcano, a zodiac ride, and an optional beach swim or snorkel.

Itinerary

Day 7

Wednesday

Las Bachas, Santa Cruz

Las Bachas Beach is located in the north of Santa Cruz Island. Its soft, white sand is derived from remains of coral, algae,and other fragments, making it a favorite nesting site for sea turtles. Behind the beach there is a small brackish lagoon, where it is possible to observe flamingos and other coastal birds, such as black-necked stilts and whimbrels. Excursion options: walk, swim and snorkel.

Itinerary

Day 7

Wednesday

Daphne Island

Daphne is a satellite volcanic cone located north of Santa Cruz Island. The crater floor is an important breeding site for blue-footed boobies. The cliff shore of the island is home for sea lions, pelicans, blue-footed boobies, and tropic birds which can be observed during the circumnavigation of the island. Excursion options: Ship circumnavigation.

Itinerary

Day 8

Thursday - AM

El Barranco, Genovesa Island

El Barranco, also known as Prince Phillip’s Steps, is a steep stairway that leads up through a seabird colony full of Nazca and Red-footed Boobies. Once at the plateau, the trail continues inland and passes more nesting booby colonies in the thin Palo Santo forest. Keep an eye out for Galapagos doves, mockingbirds, storm petrels, and a short-eared lava owl if you are lucky. Excursion options: Hike, zodiac, deep water snorkel.

Itinerary

Day 8

Thursday - PM

Darwin Bay, Genovesa Island

Darwin Bay’s soft white sand is only the beginning of a spectacular excursion. A trail from the beach takes you into lush mangroves where red-footed boobies nest. Other local wildlife includes sea lions, swallow-tailed gulls, frigatebirds and more. Snorkeling is a must here, as the nutrient-rich water attracts all types of marine life including sharks, sea lions, sea turtles, and the occasional manta ray. Excursion options: Walk, swim, snorkel and kayak.

Itinerary

Day 9

Friday

Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz

Bartolomé Island offers one of the region’s most photographed views, and is a spectacular geological setting. Its barren moon-like volcanic landscapes, spatter cones, and pinnacle rock make for a unique stop. It is also home to the endemic Galapagos penguin and provides an excellent opportunity for snorkeling. Excursion options: hike up some 368 stairs “To the Top” of the volcano, a zodiac ride, and an optional beach swim or snorkel.

Itinerary

Day 10

Saturday

Baltra disembarkation

From Baltra, you’ll fly to Quito, and then on to Lima, Peru. A Celebrity representative will be on hand to assist with all your transfers. You’ll overnight at the Westin Lima hotel.

Itinerary

Day 10

Saturday - PM

Quito

Upon your arrival in Quito, a Celebrity Cruises® representative will escort you to the JW Marriott hotel. Dinner will be served at the hotel.

Itinerary

Day 11

Sunday - AM

Departure

*For 10-Night Package
On Sunday after breakfast, your Celebrity Cruises® representative will once again escort you to the airport for your return flight home.

Itinerary

Day 11

Sunday

Quito

*For 11-Night Package
Enjoy a day in the Ecuadorean capital at your leisure. Breakfast is included.

Itinerary

Day 12

Monday

Quito Departure

*For 11-Night Package
Your Celebrity Cruises® representative will once again escort you to the airport for your return. Breakfast included.

Celebrity Xperience℠

Step aboard this stylish 48-passenger vessel to experience a vacation where absolutely nothing is middle-of-the-road, and luxury exploration is the norm. The Celebrity Xperience features luxury ocean view staterooms and detailed extras that make a big difference. Enjoy room service, premium linens, an expert and attentive staff and an onboard certified naturalist from the Galapagos National Park. Intimate yet generously spacious, you’ll find it easy to unwind and get to know your fellow travelers as you explore the Galapagos Islands.